Schu's replacement a wrong fit for Finn

The gates flew open at the Australian Grand Prix yesterday and although the cars were nowhere to be seen, the drivers had their game faces on already as they made their mandatory appearances around town.

30 August 2010Martin Blake

Formula One driver Finland's Kimi Raikkonen poses for photographers as drivers prepare for the 2007 Australian Grand Prix. Picture: AP

Take Kimi Raikkonen, for starters. Raikkonen is about to take on what could be interpreted as the greatest opportunity of his life as Ferrari's new driver, or the biggest no-win situation he has walked into in his 27 years.

He is about to follow in Michael Schumacher's footsteps, which in formula one terms is like being asked to slap up a few frescoes at the Vatican in a room not so far from Michelangelo's work at the Sistine Chapel.

The recently-retired Schumacher is God in Formula One. They don't even bother calling him by his surname any more. It's just Michael, the same as Michael Jordan is just Michael to basketball people.

So would Raikkonen be excited about this? Of course. Would it show in public? Not on your life.

A cluster of international media had gathered at Ferrari's display in Lygon Street (where else would you hold a Ferrari gathering?) to talk over the new season, beginning at Albert Park on Sunday. But Raikkonen, a nine-time grand prix winner, likes to let his actions talk for him.

He is called "the Iceman" and the folklore suggests the Finn was still sleeping 20 minutes before his debut in a Formula One race, at Albert Park in 2001. He has ice blue eyes and stared ahead impassively through most of his news conference alongside fellow-Ferrari driver, Felipe Massa of Brazil.

It all contrasts with his reputation off the track, which is for the kind of serious partying you can afford when your salary is estimated at $65 million a year, the highest in the sport, and when your occupation takes you to the edge every other day.

"We'll have to wait and see," is one of his favourite quotes. "It's hard to tell," is another. Hold the back page on those two.

Of course Raikkonen is bored with all the talk and ready to get behind the wheel. Three months into his three-year deal with the most famous racing team in the world, he has already answered the inevitable questions about Schumacher a thousand times from Italy to Bahrain to Australia.

When Ferrari brought the media to its winter retreat at Madonna di Campoglio recently, he said: "I'm not Michael Schumacher and the team doesn't expect me to be." At yesterday's conference it took 10 minutes for the question to come. Did he feel extra pressure as Schumacher's replacement? "Not really," he said. "It's always exciting with a new team. I want to win races and fight for the championship. That's what the team wants as well."

Raikkonen has a fine reputation - he won seven times in 2005 and was runner-up to Fernando Alonso at Albert Park last year - but in fact, his new teammate Massa, 26, was quicker in testing in the early part of year when Ferrari unveiled its new car.Massa is technically the form driver of the race, after securing a home-country victory in the Brazilian Grand Prix at the end of last season.

"We were very strong in most of the testing. The expectation, for sure, is very high. But now is the race. Now is where it counts," said the Sao Paulo native.

Massa was a teammate of Schumacher's in the German's final season, and says he and Raikkonen need to be more "intelligent" in the way they handle their cars.

"Me and Michael just threw away some important points, especially in Australia," he said. "We lost ground in the beginning of the season and that was very important to the championship. Everything needs to be together. It's important to perform at the beginning of the season."

What may well be interesting is how Raikkonen and Massa react together. In 2004 in Japan Massa shunted Raikkonen on the first lap, but yesterday they had the peace pipe out.

"I think we're both in the same boat. We're working together. We need to be together to improve the car because we need a competitive car," Massa said. "On the track, he and I want to be in front. That's normal behaviour."